Perspectives
July 27-August 2, 2011
Rebecca Rillos/Arizona Summer Wildcat
A13
Rebecca Rillos/Arizona Daily Wildcat
Rebecca Rillos/Arizona Daily Wildcat
The faces in high places
Photo courtesy of provost.arizona.edu
By Kristina Bui ARIZONA SUMMER WILDCAT
Eugene Sander, interim president
Eugene Sander, former dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was selected by the Arizona Board of Regents to be the UA’s interim president while the board seeks a long-term replacement for outgoing president Robert Shelton. Sander brings more than two decades of experience at the UA to the office, as the agriculture dean and as provost for a year before Meredith Hay was hired. Still, Sander admitted he was not fully equipped to be president, and would have to learn more about the regents’ model for measuring university progress and the question of how to fund Arizona universities. But in a statement, Sander emphasized that he “will not be a caretaker” while the regents search for a permanent president, and that the UA will continue moving forward. He has yet to prove himself as president, but the expectations for Sander will be high.
James Allen, Associated Students of the University of Arizona president
The election of James Allen as president of the Associated Students of the University of Arizona contributed to the destruction of UA student government — the first election, that is. In it, Allen was disqualified for violating the ASUA Elections Code. His opponent, Daniel Hernandez (yeah, that Daniel Hernandez), was also disqualified. After a month of appeals, the two faced off again in a special election, which Allen, predictably, won again. Never underestimate the power of the Greek Life vote. Allen ran on a platform based on notions of transparency and open government. Then it was revealed that he and his opponent were cheaters, and ASUA’s handling of the ordeal revealed the organization to be plagued by deeply flawed policies and secrecy. That said, prior to the disqualification debacle, the Daily Wildcat endorsed Allen because he was a decisive candidate with a clear head for logic. If Allen can be that candidate, he may be able to lend ASUA some legitimacy.
Meredith Hay, executive vice president and provost
As executive vice president and provost, Meredith Hay oversees the university’s entire budget. In her capacity as the UA’s chief operating officer, Hay wields a lot of power. So much so that in 2009, UA faculty members pushed for a vote of no confidence. Faculty members vented their frustrations with Hay and then-President Robert Shelton in a blog that was kept anonymous out of the fear that there would be retribution if they were open with their criticism of UA administration. Following an unscientific faculty poll that found 574 of the 858 members who responded did not approve of her handling of budget cuts, and that about 100 wanted her resignation or removal, Hay issued an apology and a promise for better communication. As the UA faces steadily increased cuts in state funding, it will be up to the administration, particularly Hay, to find solutions by increasing revenue elsewhere and making UA budget cuts. It’s a daunting challenge, and one that will require close oversight from everyone.
Melissa Vito, vice president for Student Affairs
Melissa Vito was named vice president for Student Affairs in 2007. She oversees student involvement and non-academic student services, including Arizona Student Unions, Residence Life, Greek Life and the Dean of Students Office. As funding from the student services fee reaches a broader variety of programs (including ASUA programs like SafeRide and the Women’s Resource Center, and some of the printing costs of the Daily Wildcat), Vito manages where millions of dollars go. Although Vito is a relatively low-profile administrator, as far as students are concerned, she plays a huge role in how you pay for services you may or may not actually use.